Today, young adults, including children have increasingly more pressures and demands. So often they can get caught up in their faults and failures without realising their incredible unique strengths and virtues.

Sometimes some individual’s strengths are not as clear as others. For example, generosity, honesty and hope, optimism and future-mindedness may be overlooked compared with academic and sports achievements. Although not as obvious, knowledge of their character strengths
can often empower and motivate them to be their best.

All individuals will show incredible strength in at least one area of their life, it is just a matter of helping them discover and realise this. Parents can help their children do this by:

1: Discover, inquire and investigate your child’s unique strengths, personal attributes, interests and passions, not limiting it to sports and academic achievements. For example, do they have a unique way of communicating with others, sharing information or expressing their thoughts and feelings?
2. Encourage your child to use their unique qualities: How can they best play out their unique strengths; what opportunities are available to help them discover more about themselves? Children need this encouragement to motivate them to be the best they can be.
3. Don’t be fooled by the little things: How does your child use creativity or show love and affection? It could be these very strengths that children and young adults reflect and use to strive to great achievements and success.
Helping your child become aware of their seemingly small personal attributes and strengths may be the very thing they need to empower them to shine to be their best.

www.directionexploring.com.au
tahlia@directionexploring.com.au


Tahlia Mandie is a psychotherapist and family counsellor for Direction Exploring, which helps adolescents by inspiring, empowering and motivating them to find their potential and pathway while giving them more energy, confidence and belief in themselves and their abilities. Direction Exploring also works with parents and families and runs group programs and workshops.